The present invention relates to smoking articles such as cigarettes, and in particular, to those smoking articles having a heat source and a physically separate aerosol generating means. Such smoking articles include a combustible fuel element, which upon use, is capable of producing heat which is transferred to the aerosol generating means for resultant aerosol production. Such smoking articles are capable of providing the smoker with the pleasures of smoking (e.g., smoking taste, feel, satisfaction, and the like), by heating, but not necessarily burning, tobacco in various forms. In addition, such smoking articles are capable of providing very low yields of mainstream carbon monoxide.
Cigarettes, cigars and pipes are popular smoking articles which use tobacco in various forms. Many smoking products have been proposed as improvements upon, or alternatives to, the various popular smoking articles. For example, numerous references have proposed articles which generate flavored vapor and/or visible aerosol. Most of such articles have employed a combustible fuel source to provide an aerosol and/or to heat an aerosol forming material. See, for example, the background art cited in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,082 to Banerjee et al.
Smoking articles which are capable of providing the pleasures associated with cigarette smoking, by heating but not necessarily burning tobacco, and without delivering considerable quantities of incomplete combustion products, are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,714,082 to Banerjee et al; 4,756,318 to Clearman et al; 4,793,365 to Sensabaugh, Jr. et al; 4,819,665 to Roberts et al; 4,854,311 to Banerjee et al and 4,881,556 to Clearman et al; and European Patent Application No. 342,538. Such smoking articles employ a combustible fuel element for heat generation; and aerosol forming substances positioned physically separate from, and in a heat exchange relationship with, the fuel element. During use, heat generated by the fuel element acts to volatilize the aerosol forming substances, thereby providing a visible aerosol. Such smoking articles provide for extremely low yields of visible sidestream smoke as well as low yields of FTC "tar".
It would be desirable to provide a cigarette including a fuel element and a physically separate aerosol generating means; which cigarette (i) is capable of providing substantial quantities of volatilized tobacco components, (ii) makes efficient use of heat generated by the fuel element for aerosol formation, and (iii) is capable of providing very low yields of mainstream carbon monoxide.